1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bio-degradable sulfonated alkyl benzyl salt emulsifiers used to produce large particle size synthetic latexes. Relevant United States classes appear to be 252/337, 351, 353 and 260/505, 695.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Alkyl benzyl sulfonates and their salts are generally well known in the prior art as emulsifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,130,326 discloses sufonated alkylaromatic emulsifiers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,161,173 discloses sulfonated alkylaromatic wetting agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,409 discloses the use of alkylaromatic sulfonates in electroplating baths.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,232,117 discloses mono-sulfonated alkyl benzenes as wetting agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,283,199 discloses the preparation of detergent alkylaromatic sulfonates. Although there appears to be a disclosure of a relation between degree of sulfonation and detergent properties, this patent actually refers to the degree of disulfonation compared to monosulfonation. This interpretation of the disclosure is based upon the facts that: (1) all of the products of this patent are water soluble (unsulfonated alkyl benzenes are not) and (2) alkyl dicyclics are used as starting materials, which is more likely to result in disulfonation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,497 discloses alkyl aryl sulfonates as wetting agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,467 discloses alkyl benzene sulfonates used as latex emulsifiers to produce latexes of high concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,785 discloses alkyl benzene sulfonates in herbicidal emulsions.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,407 discloses oxidized alkyl benzene sulfonates as initiators in emulsion polymerization recipes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,207 discloses C.sub.6-9 alkyl benzene sulfonates as wetting agents.
No prior art was found which relates the degree of sulfonation of an alkyl benzene emulsifier to the viscosity or particle size of a synthetic latex.